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Dasaita Android Head Unit Upgrade

110K views 284 replies 48 participants last post by  Dr. Toboggan 
#1 ·
UPDATE: The latest model now includes the USB adapter, has HDMI and the screen is 9” instead of 8” in size.



They advertise this unit as having full stock functionality with both cameras and features. I can happily say that it is exactly what they say it is. I have a lot to say so read carefully if you are considering purchasing this unit. Hopefully I can help.

Brief rundown:
All the cameras work and the unit even retains the MPG and trip mpg history features. The unit also adds some features like graphical door ajar indicators. Plug and play with some configuration through a password protected factory settings menu. (password is 126). Steering wheel buttons work and are programmable. This thing is LEGIT!

Cameras:

With a little configuration they both work just fine. The Lane Assist camera has the distance lines programmed in to it so they display automatically. The reversing camera settings include options to show trajectory as well as a distance ruler too.

To properly route the signal for the Lane Assist camera in a USDM HRV EX I had to do the following:
"GO to Settings >Car >Factory Setting (password 126) >Other >Customer Version >Version 2"

In "Settings >Car >Extra Settings >Reversing Volume >On" or set the reverse volume to the desired attenuation. Otherwise as configured by the factory the audio will cut out when the reverse or Lane Assist cameras are active.

(The "Factory Setting" menu has a lot of other configurable options that are vehicle specific. Password: 126)


Installation:
The Dasaita is plug and play with a little common sense. Huge bundle of wires that will need to be zip tied and kept tidy, perhaps wrapped in foam to prevent rattling. Two harnesses did not plug in to anything, one with two green wires and a large gray plug and the other was a small blue DA plug (confirmed not needed by support rep.)

The dash trim pulls off easily and only 3 bolts hold the stock unit in to the dash. My first go around has me thinking that the new unit is intended to simply pressure fit in to the cavity where the original stereo came out. The original stereo's metal cage didn't fit the new Dasaita unit but I would prefer that it did. The Dasaita gets quite hot to the touch after a short period and a metal heatsink to the chassis would be preferred. I may end up installing a small fan to cool the unit.

GPS antenna: Even though my HRV is only an EX it still had a GPS antenna installed. It was directly above the stereo unit on a metal bracket with a short pigtail cable. I removed the original antenna from the bracket and installed the new Dasaita antenna in it's place. This worked out great and I had no trouble getting a fast and accurate GPS lock with google maps.

WiFi: get a bigger WiFi antenna. It made a big difference in speed and reception after I swapped it for one I had lying around. You either need an SMA Male Connector antenna or do what I did and cut a piece of short solid core wire to act as the center pin. MOST wifi antennas are SMA FEMALE so you won't likely have a Male one lying around.

USB: Included, but not shown in the product description, is one adapter labeled "Toyota usb adapter" which allows you to connect one of the units usb ports to the stock HRV under dash ports. Do yourself a favor and order a second one from Amazon to connect the second port. It won't fit perfectly but if you double check the orientation and just cram the plugs together it will work. Tested and verified.

HDMI: there is no HDMI, so the mostly useless port under your center console will be nonfunctional. I would be interested to see If one could obtain an additional USB port for this location to better utilize the Dasaita's third usb connection.

Speed and Responsiveness:
The specs seem to be true to the user experience, it is very responsive, fastest Android device I have ever owned. But then again I generally own 2+ year old phones anyway.

Sound quality:
Let me preface this by disclosing that I am an audio engineer and have spent the better part of a decade performing modifications to audio equipment to improve the audio path and quality on a commercial level. I have a very discerning ear, but I don't buy crazy expensive HI-FI equipment due to my practical nature and the law of diminishing returns. Great sound quality can be achieved without breaking the bank. Additionally, I have already upgraded the speakers in my HRV so I am getting the full benefits of a new headunit.

With the exception of Bluetooth (see below), the audio quality is where the unit has proven itself to me. The stock stereo has some terrible equalization profile applied to the audio at all times or the analog audio path consists of junk components. Having only has bass and treble controls you cannot correct the crappy audio quality in the stock hrv headunit. The Dasaita unit has a 9 point graphical EQ that can be set completely flat and is fairly transparent when cutting and boosting frequencies. My advice would be to mostly cut, not boost. For example if you want more bass, don't turn the bass up, turn the trebel down. This helps with headroom and Dynamics. I think that the unit produces great sounding audio to the speakers through the internal amplifier. However, like most internal amplifiers, the headroom leaves much to be desired. When you start turning up the volume to where the music gets "loud" the dynamic range is compressed and eventually starts to distort. This is true of most internal amplifiers of car head units. The great thing is that the Dasaita has proper front and rear RCA outputs for attaching a 4 channel amp and sub. I will likely install an amp down the road but the audio quality of the Dasaita will get me by until then for sure! The noise floor is a little bit higher than I would like, but only really a slight hiss that is noticeable when sitting still, when the car is in motion it is mostly masked by road noise. I guess I will find out down the road if this is the audio path or amplifier noise floor.

Bluetooth audio: I have not yet tested this unit with another Bluetooth audio device, but with my stock HTC One M8 the bluetooth audio streaming quality was COMPLETE GARBAGE! Unlistenable amounts of noise, crackles and distortion. Update: tested with an iPhone, same result. I will try different software.. So far this is my only gripe.

Software:
This is straight up ANDROID IN YOUR DASH! No restrictions, any app any time.
The stock music player is basically a proof of concept player. Download a better one ASAP.
The unit came preloaded with iGo Navigation which loaded up with French as the default language. I haven't put any time in to using this application because when I need to navigate I use Google Maps then Sygic Maps then Sygic Car Navigation (in that order of preference).
The stock launcher is junk but they do include a full licensed version of "Car Launcher AG" and I quite like it! Once configured it is a great dashboard interface.

Screen:
The 8" screen almost fills the entire opening on the dash, this is GLORIOUS! No more black bar around the screen! The screen is recessed in to the dash trim by a gloss black bezel. I get the impression that the angle was designed for right hand drive vehicles but it looks nice and clean. The color and contrast of the screen is great, so much better than stock.

Phone integration:
The provided apps and settings allow for making phone calls over bluetooth, but I haven't done much more than make a test call to check my voicemail.

I haven't spent a ton of time using the new unit so I may report back with updates as I become more familiar.
I would recommend this to anybody with an HRV and enough confidence to install it. VERY MUCH WORTH IT.
 
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#49 ·
Just read your thread, it's a shame you didn't get it to work. The only reason I went for the dasaita is the confirmed compatibility with factory features. However, I had to do some alterations as I mentioned above due to some incompatibilities with my 2020 middle east unit. Have you tried altering the supplied harness? I found that factory radio pinouts differ depending on the year model but color coding is the same so I had to compare my factory wirings with the wiring diagrams available in this forum and worked with the seller to fix the harness. Might save you a few hundred bucks.
 
#50 ·
I considered that but the wiring diagrams shown here are for the 2019 and it looks like the 2020 USA model may have different pin outs. The Maxca is not near as advanced as the Dasaita either, the features are very very basic.
 
#51 ·
I found that the 2018 wiring diagram has the same pinout for the reverse camera for my 2020 basic headunit (fujitsu ten as opposed to your panasonic). There's a downloadable pdf of that in another headunit thread here. That might help but if you're willing to spend more, I'd say that the dasaita is worth it.
 
#52 ·
I ordered the Dasaita head unit today ($497), they said to use CB014 for the 2020 year model. I assume that's the CANBUS. Anyway, it should be here in a few weeks or a month. I already don't expect everything to work out of the box but that would be nice though.
 
#53 ·
Today I got the radio and installed it. It got here in 10 days from China. It's very easy to install. I got everything to work except the reverse camera. Also, the Lane Watch camera comes on for right turns and my car, an LX, doesn't have this feature. So, I have to figure out a way to turn that off. I'm very satisfied although it was a bit expensive at almost $500 for a lot of features that I have no use for them. I did this only for the Apple CarPlay, which does work both wired and wireless.

NOTE: 2020 (USA) HR-V LX
 
#63 · (Edited)
I ordered the Dasaita head unit today ($497), they said to use CB014 for the 2020 year model. I assume that's the CANBUS.
Today I got the radio and installed it. It got here in 10 days from China. It's very easy to install. I got everything to work except the reverse camera. NOTE: 2020 (USA) HR-V LX
Three months after the sale, after trying various things to get the reverse camera working, I sent a message to Dasaita on the Aliexpress website. They sent me a different wiring harness (XC-2115-0021 Civic) and I replaced the previous wiring harness (XC-2115-0201 Crider) but the CANBUS (HD-SS-06C Simplesoft) remained the same. Now the reverse camera is working along with everything else. I also had to change the CANBUS factory setting from "21 CRIDER" to "7 CIVIC and CRV". I should have contacted them sooner. I highly suggest buying from the official Dasaita store on the Aliexpress website for the customer support message center.

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#55 ·
While waiting for the remedy to the rear camera not working I did the below to turn it off because I got tired of seeing the black screen in reverse.

settings > car > factory settings > 126 (password) > other > prohibit reverse > disable
 
#57 ·
Okay, after two months my biggest complaint is that a lot of times (at least 3 to 5 times a week) the CarPlay does not connect and the only thing to do is turn the car off and restart it to reboot the head unit. Also, at least once a week it makes a "pop" sound in the speakers when first turned on. It did actually crash one time but that was on the first day when I was setting it up and was really buttoning it fast so that was probably my fault. Other than that no other problems, except (see next post)...
 
#58 ·
I can't get the head unit to connect to Wi-Fi. It finds the network and connects but then immediately turns Wi-Fi off (the password is correct). I've tried different networks and even the hot spot on my phone and the same thing happens. Any advice is appreciated. My modem is CenturyLink, router is Linksys and phone is Apple.
 
#62 ·
The video works great, I’ve got 200 movies on a USB drive and it’s possible to connect to YouTube and Netflix if you have a Wi-Fi connection. It’s good to have when you’re sitting in a line waiting for a long time or parked to relax or eat.
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#71 ·
Well, for those taking notes, I have found out how to double the number of movies from 200 to nearly 400 on the 128 gb USB drive. All that I did was change the codec from MPEG to XVID and the file size was cut in half. It did sacrifice some quality but I'm going for quantity not quality for this purpose. The file format is AVI, MP4 does play also but it will increase the file size. Also, the DIVX and H.264 codec will not play on this head unit. Lastly, I installed the Movies Anywhere app and it does let me play my (almost 2,000) Apple iTunes movies on the head unit when connected to Wi-Fi. I have not tried a larger capacity USB drive yet.
 
#65 ·
Hello. First off, I can't really compare it to the stock head unit because I only had that one for 6 weeks and don't even remember it. The LX, as you know, doesn't come with CarPlay and that is the reason I chose to get this head unit. I've had it installed for exactly 4 months today and have never had an issue with seeing it at day or night and I have very poor vision. I can tell you that it does not disappear in direct sunlight, even when it's very bright sun glare the screen is fine. Now, as far as to dim it for night, CarPlay does that automatically for me (changes the screen from white to black) and again there are no issues. Please tell me where the dim knob on the dash is located and I will test that for you.
 
#66 ·
Ty for the reply. If a 20 is like an 18, the knob in the instrument cluster which you use to cycle through the trip/odo/mpg etc functions by pushing it, adjusts the brightness of the gauges when the lights are turned on, by twisting it. At night its easier to see of course, by turning it you can adjust gsuges from almost totally black to full brightness, the stock head unit display adjusts commensurately.
 
#67 ·
I found the knob in my owner’s manual, it does not control the lights on the head unit. However, the brightness icon is right up front on the screen and easy to adjust the brightness. Here are pictures, taken in direct afternoon sunlight, and you can see that the screen is very visible even with only half of the brightness adjusted up.
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#69 ·
What I suggest is that you send your year model and a picture of the back of your factory head unit connections to them and they can match it up. I do know that the connections were up to 2018 and then changed from 2019 and up. Dasaita sells on Aliexpress, eBay and Amazon, I chose them because they had the best feedback rating over the other aftermarket head unit suppliers and at half the price. Make sure that you buy it directly from them for the great customer service. I got a faster response from them to my messages on Aliexpress, so that's why I bought it on that website. Lastly, in reference to the light dimmer, when the headlights are turned on the head unit lights do dim.
 
#73 ·
My car (LX) didn't have a second blank USB space, it only has a single 1.0A plug. The 1.0A is for data only because at least 1.5A is needed to charge the phone. So, to answer your question, I did nothing with the second one because I had no where to put it. In fact, it's still in the box in case I need it in the future. I was going to install a dual USB plug from an EX and use one USB port to charge my phone and the other for data (in my case a USB thumb drive with movies) but I found that even with the Dasaita head unit the 1.0A plug does not charge my phone. My option was as pictured, I use the USB port for my thumb drive and the cigarette lighter for a charger.

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#74 · (Edited)
My car (LX) didn't have a second blank USB space, it only has a single 1.0A plug. The 1.0A is for data only because at least 1.5A is needed to charge the phone. So, to answer your question, I did nothing with the second one because I had no where to put it. In fact, it's still in the box in case I need it in the future. I was going to install a dual USB plug from an EX and use one USB port to charge my phone and the other for data (in my case a USB thumb drive with movies) but I found that even with the Dasaita head unit the 1.0A plug does not charge my phone. My option was as pictured, I use the USB port for my thumb drive and the cigarette lighter for a charger.

View attachment 31818
That is interesting. My panel (also LX) has the usb under a cover on left, second cover is the aux port, third is blank with no cover, and fourth is the 12v/cig.
My usb does charge the phone as well as plays music or radio from it. Hopefully still will with new unit. Ty for the info.
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#75 ·
The post below, #11, in another thread that I installed a different brand head unit shows how to take the dash apart and install the head unit, it's the same for the Dasaita. Take note that the special tool in the picture wasn't really needed if you open the glove box and grab the dash pad and pull with slight force then the pad will pop off easily. Although, that tool did help when I reinstalled the dash pad to tuck the pad around and under the climate control pod.

 
#78 ·
I think that's the split (still learning), up to 2018 and then 2019 and up for the difference for the factory head unit and wiring harness. You have an Apple or Android phone? I know nothing about Android Auto or those phones.
 
#80 ·
Yes, a picture of the back and wire harness of your factory head unit to the seller before you buy is a must for correct fitment. I've been using Apple CarPlay for many years, it's an easy GUI (graphical user interface). It's actually just your phone mirrored to the car's head unit. There are plenty of resources online to help you with it but I can if needed. In my opinion, it makes the car more safe.
 
#82 ·
It came, it is in, it works, easiest install I have ever done. The only thing not functioning properly are steering wheel phone buttons. I have never used them so would not have noticed if I didn’t look for it. Don’t know if they can be made to function, but if it is important to anyone considering one of these, well there it is. Dasaita seriously has their act together with these!
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#89 ·
Looks great! Any bugs at all? I'm about given up on a similar looking headunit branded "Mekede" also purchased on Aliexpress. The seller helped me with all issues except for what's a dealbreaker for me - microphone quality while on a call. It is absolutely horrendous and I cannot be heard while driving and/or have the AC at anything above 1.
 
#83 ·
Me too, it was so easy and the fastest one I have ever installed. They just need to come down on the price to the $350-$400 range to make this truly remarkable.

You want the SWC (steering wheel controls) to work, for convenience and safety. Let me go check my settings, you can make the head unit "learn" your car. If not, contact them and they'll get it working because you certainly want it.
 
#84 ·
Home > Settings > Car > Steering wheel controls > Reset > Press steering wheel buttons > Save

-OR-

Home > Settings > Factory settings > 126 (password) > Key Study > [ask Dasaita because I do not know] > Apply > Exit
 
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